[WaiZack]

Hi, I'm new here and I would like to ask which is usually the better option? To get an external headphone amp or to get a sound card that is around the same price?

 

[TwelveTrains]

Depends what you are looking for...are you into gaming, music, or movie watching?

 

[WaiZack]

Just a general all rounder if there is such a thing.

 

[anwaypasible]

as a general rule, if the soundcard can output the same voltage as the dedicated headphone amplifier, then the only difference to note is which one sounds better .. or if there is any reason to start looking into the resistance difference of connecting the headphone's with their impedance compared to the impedance of the headphone amplifier .. as well as any manually built circuit that might boost (or cut with isolation) the resistance to get a match (or adjustment based on improved sound quality regardless of equal impedance).
 
 
a serious note from real audiophiles is probably above,
but another note is why amplifiers are ever popular as fact..
if you run your headphones with an amplifier and a preamp, you can leave the amplifier up high and use the preamp to turn down the volume.. that way the amplifier continues to hold the audio signal with a strong grip, because the stronger grip is what can help bring out more clarity and details that might be missed with lower power.
 
kinda think of it like this..
a strong person that can easily lift 150lbs is repeatedly lifting 40lbs
and that means the person should be able to lift that 40lbs for a longer duration of time, as well as the 40lbs being able to move about easier .. for instance, the person is carrying the 40lbs and is walking across the room to stack 'em up, and then something gets in the way.. and instead of completely stopping, the person can easily lift up the 40lbs to prevent a collision.. thus continue walking to spare some time.
 
when they talk about amplifier headroom.. it isn't always because of this reason, sometimes it is simply to keep the volume knob from reaching 100% (because distortion happens when getting closer to 100% .. something i dont really understand, unless the voltage going to the pieces on the circuit board are higher than the pieces are rated for).

 

[WaiZack]

what is a preamp? is it the same as a DAC?
 
So if i use a sound card, i would not be able to use a preamp right?

 

[GotNoRice]

what is a preamp? is it the same as a DAC?

So if i use a sound card, i would not be able to use a preamp right?

No a Preamp and a DAC are not the same.

A DAC serves only one simple purpose, to convert a digital signal into analog. Some also have a built-in headphone amp and volume control, etc, but those functions have nothing to do with it's purpose as a DAC.

A Preamp generally has a volume control and input switching. It's like a receiver, without the amplifier portion, or the ability to tune in radio. Some are analog only, some have built-in DACs and can accept a digital signal.

Depending on the individual devices, there can be a lot of overlap between the two or no overlap at all, but the core purpose of each is different.

In my setup my EMU 0404 functions as my DAC and outputs an analog signal into my Yamaha C-80 Preamp (1984), which takes care of my input switching and volume control.

 

[nicko7i]

Generally speaking, you're better off with the external headphone amp.  Even better if you can get the audio out of the computer in digital format by using a DAC/amp.
 
Why?  
(1) The external unit has a completely separate power supply that is isolated from the PC and can designed specifically for the needs of the audio circuits.  A PC card must rely on whatever power the PC supplies, which can vary a lot.
 
(2) There is a lot of digital noise inside a PC, so the designers of a quality PC card are putting effort (and your money) into managing that noise.  The external unit designers can put the money into making it ridiculously awesome. "Ridiculously awesome" means "stable, quiet power for the digital side; highly isolated, quiet power for the analog side; analog circuitry that can deliver plenty of current, or plenty voltage: whatever your headphones need at the moment."
 
As a result, you can get good PC audio for $300.  You can get an outstanding DAC/amp for $300. I don't want to sound like I'm promoting any particular product so PM me if you're interested.

 

[obobskivich]

Generally, features aside, there is no right answer. If you're talking headphone amp vs soundcrad that lacks a headphone amp, and hard to drive cans, that's one thing. But I'm assuming you aren't, and its easy enough to get a competent "amp card" these days (most mainstream products have gone that way).

It also, to an extent, depends on your computer and headphones - compatibility should always be a consideration.

 

[SNOOP_DOGG]

I think DAC/AMPs combo(USB, Coaxal)is better sounding than soundcards alone and provide cleaner powerful signal through AMPs, like iBasso D7, JDS Labs O2AMP+O2DAC are realy good sounding and avalaible at relitively low price.

 

[NamelessPFG]

Personally, I think the whole "external DACs are always better" rhetoric is just way overblown.
 
I compared my X-Fi Titanium HD to a JDS Labs-built ODAC, and once they were volume-matched, I was hard-pressed to find ANY difference between the two, even when I was actively listening for differences.
 
Then there's the matter of whether you're gaming or not. If you are, then sound cards are actually the better option, as audiophile DACs don't have any gaming DSP features whatsoever. No mixing tech like CMSS-3D Headphone, Dolby Headphone, etc. for surround sound over stereo headphones, and certainly no EAX support for older games that used it.
 
That said, I did see the appeal in that little ODAC: it's plug-and-play, no finagling with drivers. Not a bad option for the less tech-savvy among us who don't care much for PC gaming.
 
As for amps, I'd also suggest keeping that separate from your DAC, and matched to your headphones of choice. Buying a combo DAC/amp will result in either a non-optimal amp for really demanding dynamics and orthos, or a completely useless amp if you want to take the electrostatic route.

 

[singhaniag]

I currently connect my headphone via the Schitt Lyr amp. The amp only takes av input. This works fine with my cable box because the cable box has an av audio out. However i am unable to connect to my computer with this setup as my computer only has an hdmi out.
Would buying a soundcard with av out be the best way to go about this. Since i've already paid $400+ for the amp i dont necessarily want to invest in a sound card if not required. Alternatively, would an hdmi to av converter do the trick without loosing sound quality? 

 

[singhaniag]

Wouldn't the HDMI to RCA converter result in loss of audio quality? Ideally I would want to hook up the computer to the amp via the fiber optic. But am wondering if a dedicated cable card with an AV out might be a better solution since the converters appear to loose some audio quality in the transmission

 

[cel4145]

I currently connect my headphone via the Schitt Lyr amp. The amp only takes av input. This works fine with my cable box because the cable box has an av audio out. However i am unable to connect to my computer with this setup as my computer only has an hdmi out.
Would buying a soundcard with av out be the best way to go about this. Since i've already paid $400+ for the amp i dont necessarily want to invest in a sound card if not required. Alternatively, would an hdmi to av converter do the trick without loosing sound quality? 

Any thing that converts HDMI audio to analog has a DAC in it. Anything that converts HDMI to analog will also have to handle multi channel audio conversion.

If your computer has optical out--or you could USB--why not just buy a DAC meant to use with those interfaces that handles stereo (2 channel) signals? Seems like it would cost more to have something that works with HDMI instead. Grab a Schiit Modi for $100. Or if you want something smaller, an ODAC.

 

[Mrpcgames]

What is a sound card that you would recommend?